


Damaged Minds, Severed Hearts

by Shadow15



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-30
Updated: 2016-11-30
Packaged: 2018-09-03 07:17:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8702776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow15/pseuds/Shadow15
Summary: When Dino is told he is to become Hibari's mentor, he understands said boy is difficult. But all it took was one look at those angry, hateful eyes to realise he was dealing with much more than just a problem child. Dino/Hibari D18 yaoi. Slight AU.





	1. Chapter 1

**Prologue: First Encounter.**

When Dino first laid eyes on Hibari, he was honestly surprised to see such a loathsome look in those cold, grey eyes belonging to such a young boy.  It was a disdainful expression that should be reserved only for those who had suffered greatly, a look the blond would wish upon nobody. 

Keeping his composure as normal as always, Dino’s hand travelled to his whip where he stroked it calmly as he spoke; he had to be ready for an attack from the volatile teen at all times.  “So you’re Kyouya Hibari?”

From what Dino had been told about the black-haired boy, it was no surprise that he was instantly challenged to a fight, the teenager attacking with pure instinct that could easily have been mistaken for bloodlust.  Or maybe it _was_ just that; bloodlust, nothing more and nothing less.

Should Dino be worried?  Perhaps.  However, he wasn’t too concerned with how the fight would play out; as Mafia Boss of the Chiavarone Family, he was confident he would be able to handle anything this kid threw at him.

The blond was skilled enough to dodge the majority of his opponent’s attacks, throw in his own, all the while noticing just how empty those eyes seemed to be; filled only with what he deemed hatred – anger, perhaps.  But if that was the case, why would those two emotions be directed at him, someone Hibari had never met?

Were those the raven-haired kid’s reasons for fighting?  The reason he had become so strong, pretty much impossible to beat from everything he had been told?  If so, why did that look exist upon such a young face in the first place?

Dino couldn’t help but feel hurt knowing that this boy probably wasn’t as happy as he should be.  Did the younger have friends?  A family that supported him?  Unlikely; just from a glance he looked to be the solitary, antisocial type. 

If that was really true, being Kyouya Hibari’s teacher wouldn’t be an easy feat.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter One: The Beginning of the End.**

Dino Cavallone had always thought Japan was a rather beautiful country, the green that always seemed to surround him wherever he went sending peaceful vibes throughout his being.  He had spent the majority of his life back in his own country of Italy, but business he couldn’t ignore had brought him here more and more over time; the blond male was still young, twenty-two years of age and yet, he was one of the strongest assets the Vongola Family had, which was why his help had been requested by said family. 

Messy blond hair fell into his eyes as Dino ventured down the quiet street as his golden locks only became more tousled by the light breeze that could only wish to buffet him.  He was rather curious about how he could help; from what he had been told briefly, he was to try and tutor a teenager that wouldn’t allow themselves to be tamed by anyone. 

Dino had thought this was rather curious; if his supposed pupil was supposed to be as difficult as he was being led to believe they would be, wouldn’t it make more sense to find someone else to take the blond’s place?  Dino was strong, but he was also kind, and despite being a Mafia Boss, he wasn’t sure if he had it in him to lay down the law and keep a _kid_ in line – he gave chances, and though he had done things that would forever haunt him, he would always try to avoid the path of violence whenever possible. 

The Chiavarone boss found his train of thought to be cut short as he arrived at the house he was expected at.  Once again, he found himself admiring the way of the Japanese, the two-story home leaving him in awe at just how similar, yet so different, it was to the houses of his own country; though it was a large home surrounded by lush greens, the building itself, with its seemingly-concrete walls, was something not familiar to Italy. 

Dino walked up the pavement to the front door so that he could knock politely before he stepped back, waiting for an answer.  He had left his men elsewhere, wanting to talk privately with the Vongola members; not knowing what he could possibly be told about the student he was to teach, he thought it would be better for his men to remain behind lest something personal be mentioned; he wouldn’t appreciate strangers hearing things about him they didn’t have to know, after all.

The wooden door was opened and a head of light reddish-brown hair greeted him, a woman Dino recognised as Bianchi, a fellow help to the Vongola whom resided at this house.  He nodded politely before he spoke with a smile on his face.

“I was asked to come here by Reborn,” Dino explained.  His voice was soft, highlighting his easy-going personality.  “Is he about?”

Bianchi nodded.  She swallowed part of the dango stick she had in her mouth before she pulled the treat way and used it to gesture to the stairwell behind them.  “He’s upstairs in Tsuna’s room.”

“Thank you very much, Bianchi.” Dino walked into the house so that he could take the stairs that would lead him to his old teacher.  The room he was after was just to his left, so it took only seconds after reaching the top floor for him to knock on the door and enter.

Dino wasn’t used to being in this bedroom without its owner present, but aforementioned person was most likely at school, leaving only himself and one other person in it.  His companion wore a stereotypical mafia suit complete with the fedora, his spiky hair hidden beneath the material while a green chameleon named Leon perched on the rim.  Large eyes observed the blond as lips curled into an amused smile.

“Good afternoon, Reborn.” The blond nodded in acknowledgement.  He took in the sight before him, the black-clad male sitting comfortably on the bed pressed against the wall opposite him.

“Ciaossu.” The blond was greeted with a nod of the head, but no further words were spoken until he sat down by the small table in the middle of the room.

The other male – Reborn, as Dino knew him by – spoke in that matter-of-fact tone he always seemed to use as he stared intently at Dino. “You’re here about the bearer of the Cloud Ring.”

“That’s right.  I don’t believe I have enough information on what I’m supposed to do with him.”

“Train him.” The black fedora tilted downwards, shading Reborn’s eyes.  Leon didn’t move, used to the action.  “But it won’t be easy.”

Dino sighed inwardly, used to his old mentor’s way of getting his point across; it was pretty much a riddle he had to find the answer to through trial and error.  This wasn’t what he wanted to know; he wanted to know what his student’s personality was, what to expect and how to handle it – not be told things he had already suspected.

As polite as Dino was, he knew he would get no further answers out of Reborn so, changing the topic to another of importance regarding an unrelated matter, he stayed in the bedroom for an hour longer before realising he had to get back to his own family.

Dino stood up and brushed imaginary dirt from the fur-rimmed jacket he was wearing before he looked down as he addressed his old teacher.  “I really should be going; I have things to attend to.  Thank you for your time.  Arrivederci.”

Dino left the room without the standard injury – his clumsiness usually got him hurt even when he was simply entering a room – and, halfway down the stairs, was almost unable to believe how lucky he had been to avoid harm. However, his hopes had been too high as he stumbled on the last few steps and he fell to the floor, landing face down.

The blond hadn’t so much as lifted an arm to rub at his head in embarrassment before the front door opened and the teenager who lived here stepped through, his mop of brunet hair blown ragged from the strengthening wind. 

Sawada Tsunayoshi glanced down as he heard a small groan of pain from the bottom of the stairwell and his eyes widened as he saw his friend crumpled in a heap.  Rushing over, the boy put his hands on Dino’s shoulders as worried filled him; it was no secret the blond was a klutz – one of these days he was going to kill himself before anyone else got the chance.

“Are you okay, Dino-san?!” Tsuna pulled the older male into a sitting position, hoping the other hadn’t knocked his head from the fall; it was something that wouldn’t surprise him if it had happened. 

Dino couldn’t help but laugh as he rubbed his head.  His soft smile graced his face as he said, “I’m fine, Tsuna.  Thank you for asking.”

“Maybe you should just sit for a while.” Tsuna took his own advice and sat next to the man. 

Dino chuckled, nodding; he couldn’t help but admit that his head _did_ hurt just a bit. 

Things were quiet between the two for a while; Tsuna was lost in thoughts about his other friends while Dino focused on his mission.  The blond couldn’t be entirely sure, but he thought the student he was supposed to teach was named Kyouya, or something to that extent. 

The Mafia Boss briefly wondered if Tsuna would know anything about the other, if he could help fill in some of the gaps.  He knew he wasn’t supposed to say anything outright to the boy, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t _ask_.

“Hey, Tsuna?” Dino glanced at the smaller male.  His blue eyes looked into hazel as he tilted his head slightly before he spoke again, careful not to give away his mission.  “I heard about someone who goes to your school.  I think his name was Kyouya.”

“Kyouya?” Tsuna blinked as he tried to process this name.  It was true he had heard of a few Kyouyas who went to Namimori Middle along with him, but without more information he couldn’t pinpoint who Dino was referring to.  “I know of a few.  What’s their last name?”

“Not entirely sure.” Dino laughed good-naturedly.  “Heard he’s a real good fighter, though.”

As soon as he heard the last sentence, Tsuna knew exactly who his friend was talking about; Hibari Kyouya, the prefect of a group of delinquents who called themselves the Namimori Disciplinary Committee.  Tsuna knew, despite the fact that the others involved in the committee looked up to Hibari, said teen didn’t seem to want anything to do with them, preferring to be by his lonesome instead.  It was a confusing thing, and the brunet couldn’t understand how the committee members could follow so loyally while being on the receiving end of their leader’s aggression, but he didn’t question it; he was in enough trouble with them as it was.

“Yeah...” Tsuna bit his lip as he replied to the man.  “I know him...  He’s, uh...  Someone you really wouldn’t want to know...”

“Really?” Dino’s lips twitched as he tried to hold back a smile; what was he going to face in the future?  “Why?”

“He’s... really aggressive,” Tsuna explained.  “He doesn’t like people and if you do the slightest thing wrong, he’ll beat you with his two tonfa.”

The blond laughed.  “Sounds charming.”

Tsuna shook his head quickly; did his friend not know what he was saying?  Hibari was _deadly!_ “D-dino-san, you –“

“Hmm?” Dino tilted his head, listening as the smaller boy continued talking.  “What is it?”

“...Hibari-san is... psychotic!  He’ll fight anyone and he _never_ loses!”

“Think I could take him in a fight?” Though Dino’s tone was joking, he was serious about this; though he doubted he wouldn’t defeat the teen, if Hibari proved too strong, it would be hazardous for the Vongola Family – if they couldn’t control one of their own... 

Dino hated to think of the consequences.

“I...” This was something Tsuna really had to think about; though Dino was strong, unless his men were with him to keep him motivated to win the fight, he was as clumsy as an excited puppy in a chinaware store.  But still...  Dino was... _Dino!_ There was a reason he was the Mafia Boss of the Chiavarone Family, after all!  The skill Dino had with his bullwhip – provided he wasn’t being a klutz – was better than that of a rodeo performer who had trained for a lifetime.  “...I don’t know...  You’re strong – really! – but so is Hibari-san...”

Dino wasn’t fazed by the lack of confidence his friend had in him regarding Hibari; he figured it was just something he’d have to work out for himself when the time came to finally approach said boy.

When that day would come, Dino couldn’t help but think he may just need to keep his men on hand just to be on the safe side.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Two: Finding the Truth First-Hand**

Hibari Kyouya had been resting peacefully on the roof of his school with his fluffy, yellow bird sitting on his shoulder.  Without much to do today, the raven-haired male had thought a sleep sounded nice.  The only problem was, his relaxation was soon interrupted by a loud blond who quickly accepted his challenge to fight.

While Hibari was a strong fighter, invincible in his own eyes, he refused to acknowledge that, within seconds of the fight beginning, he was already having trouble against the blond; the older male was not only fast enough to avoid his attacks; he was skilled with the bullwhip he had in his hand.

Backing off, Hibari tried to assess the situation.  He understood this stranger was here, trying to recruit him for a mafia or something similar.  He also knew if he won this fight, he could decline the offer.  However, if he lost... he would be forced into something he didn’t want.

“Already tired?” the blond laughed to himself as if he thought his question was funny.

Hibari narrowed his grey eyes.  He raised the two steel tonfa he had in each hand into the air as he prepared himself to get back into the fight; he wasn’t used to losing – especially being _taunted_ by his opponents because people were usually too scared of him to want to risk further injury.

Angered further by the thought of being underestimated, Hibari ran to the taller man.  He had managed to land a hit in the other’s ribs, but the bullwhip lashed against his cheek, drawing a stream of blood.

The blond grunted.  He reached up to hold where he had been struck, wondering if his rib had just been broken because it sure felt as if it had been.  The student was vicious enough to know that he had hurt the other, but what he wasn’t expecting was for Dino to chuckle.

“Nice hit, Kyouya.” The Chiavarone Boss grinned before he regained his posture, keeping his feet shoulder-width apart to brace himself for another attack.

“Don’t call me Kyouya.” The black-haired boy was finding it harder and harder to contain his anger for this interloper; how _dare_ the man come up here and act like they were _friends?_  Hibari didn’t _have_ friends; he only had people he could use for personal gain and then abandon.  Enemies?  Lots of them.  But friends?  _Never._ “It’s _Hibari.”_

“Maybe it’s the custom here to use family names,” the blond started, his voice oddly soft without a hint of amusement in it now, “but where I’m from, we’re more personal.”

Hibari couldn’t believe what he had just heard; had this person just insinuated he thought they could get _personal...?_ A loud growl he didn’t recognise as his own filled the air as rage overwhelmed him; he would _never_ allow anyone to get close to him, to get _personal_ with him.  People were _not_ to be trusted.  The only one he could rely on was _himself._

The blond was almost unprepared for the sudden burst of speed the other acquired, and he had only just missed a tonfa to the face as he stepped back, countering the smaller arm with his own.  He was too shocked by the way Hibari’s attacks had suddenly turned feral to be able to block the other arm in time.

The older male felt a pain shoot through his face as the steel tonfa connected with his cheek, but he couldn’t allow it to stop him; he had to win this fight – not to get Hibari on their side, but to try and understand what was going on with him because someone with a normal upbringing should _not_ be acting this way and something _must_ have happened to him at some point. 

The pain was intense, the shaggy-haired man knew, but he couldn’t stop now – not when Hibari seemed to have lost control of his senses; he had to stop this before it got out of control.

Barely dodging the next attack, but not fast enough to avoid it completely, the taller male winced as he felt a burning ache in his shoulder as it was hit next.  He spun around to face the rabid student and raised his whip, striking it towards the other. 

Hibari snarled as he felt the pain of the whip cutting through his skin, but he could barely focus on anything to truly understand his torso had been injured; it was as if he was losing himself to a darkness within him, and not only did he not know how to stop it from overwhelming him, part of him didn’t _want_ to stop it.

The blond, seeing the way his opponent faltered slightly, took the opening to wrap the younger within the bullwhip, restraining him from further attacking.

The prefect snarled and struggled against his bindings, but it wasn’t until he had tired himself out did he finally concede the defeat.  Panting slightly, he dropped to his knees once the bullwhip was removed from around him, too tired to truly be angry; he couldn’t remember the last time he had lost all control like that but, every time he did, he would return to reality tired beyond belief, an exhaustion even the most intense fight never brought him.  Trying to liken his feelings to something seemed too much like a weakness, so the raven had never been able to explain how he truly felt at moments like this.

The blond approached slowly with a smile on his face despite his blue eyes watching cautiously in case the other attacked again.  Kneeling beside his defeated opponent, he reached his hand out, intending to introduce himself.

“My name is Dino Cavallone,” the young man explained.  He hid the hurt from his face when his friendly gesture was ignored, pulling his unshaken hand back to his side.  “I come from Italy.  I mentioned to you before I am the boss of the Chiavarone Family.  We are allies of the Vongola, the family we want you to join.”

As much as Hibari wanted to refuse, to say he hadn’t agreed to such a thing, he was just too tired to even open his mouth.  He instead stared at the older male with a blank look, just wishing he could go to sleep.  He could hear his bird chirping somewhere, and he could only wish at that moment that he, too, had wings so that he could just disappear. 

Dino didn’t let the silence faze him; he kept talking, hoping the other would respond to him at least once.  “You’ve got a few injuries, Kyouya.  Would you like me to take you back with me?  Some of my men can give you medical attention.”

Hibari’s eyes closed as his head shook side-to-side weakly.  He wanted the taller male to leave him alone, humiliated as he was with this defeat.  He fell limply to his side, and his grey eyes stared at the bird sitting on the fence surrounding the perimeter of the roof.  The yellow fuzzball chirped his name happily before it flew over and landed in his hair, plucking with its claws to make itself comfortable.

Cavallone wouldn’t allow himself to be defeated by the sixteen-year-old; he would find a way to get the other to trust him, even if it took a lifetime.  Reaching down in an attempt to bring Hibari to his feet, he quickly recoiled at the startled hiss directed his way, noticing the way grey eyes scrunched shut in what he knew was fear.

Did Hibari fear him?  Why?  He was just someone who wanted to help; was there really any reason to fear him?  He was sure he had gone overboard in trying to convey his kindness; why was this boy the only one to reject him, treat him as unkind? 

“...”  Getting to his feet, Dino stood, understanding he wasn’t wanted here – at least not now.  “I’m going to buy some lunch if you would like any.”

Hibari showed no acknowledgement towards his elder, he instead reached up to pat the yellow bird now sleeping on his head.  He shifted so that he now rested on his side with his back facing the taller man, and he closed his eyes, just wanting to sleep this humiliation away.

Dino gazed at the boy with a soft expression.  He understood he wasn’t dealing with just a rebellious child; this was someone who had been damaged – but _in what way?_   Could he do anything to help?  Would Hibari _let_ him help...?

Knowing that pondering these unanswerable questions would do him no good, Dino instead turned around, leaving the school roof and heading down to the front lawn of the schoolyard.  He didn’t know why, but hamburgers with a side of pineapple sounded good to him. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Three: Tempests Within.**

It felt as if years had passed since Hibari became convinced the other had left for good.  He didn’t particularly have the motivation to leave the school and go home, so the black-haired boy dragged himself over to the wire fence surrounding the roof and looked down at his surroundings. 

The green of Namimori Middle was well-kept, with no other students in sight while cars passed by on the road adjacent to him.  Hibari felt the calming sensation that only his school could seem to bring to him, lowering that killer intent and the anger he felt towards the blond fool for demeaning him like this.  As much as he hated being around people, he really did love school.  It was a safety net for him, knowing that despite having to put up with other people, he could still be by himself and do what he wanted – that he just didn’t have to worry about the things he had to when he was at home.

 Thunder rumbled in the grey skies above the student and, seconds later, the light yellow clothing he was wearing slowly became saturated with the falling rain.  Black strands of hair fell between his grey eyes and stuck to his pale forehead as he stared blankly into the distance.  Beside him lay the two tonfa he had used in his fight against that bustling blond, the blood that had ever-so-lightly coated the steel washing off with the rain.

The loss for the sixteen-year-old boy had conflicted internally to the point where he had been unable to so much as think coherently about what had happened.  All he knew was that the Italian had come to Japan and was attempting to recruit him for the mafia.  He understood that several of his schoolmates were involved in this, but in his introverted existence he made it a point to not stick his nose into their business – not unless the wellbeing of his beloved school was in question; he would fight tooth and nail to prevent damage to the several storey-high building.

Without conscious thought, the boy gathered the tonfa he had discarded beside him and got back to his feet as he started the journey back home.  The yellow bird perched in his hair slept peacefully, not bothered in the least by the rain.  Hibari was glad it was with him; it gave him the comfort that at least _something_ cared about him.

**_~~Thirty minutes later~~_ **

The storm outside raged as Hibari closed the door behind him quietly so he could try not to draw the attention of the other occupants of his home.  He slipped his wet shoes off and placed them in the rack beside the front door before he glanced around warily, his shoulders tensing unconsciously.

The bird was still asleep in the student’s hair, and relief washed through Hibari that his pet was not awake to alert anyone else of his presence.  He crept quietly to the back of his house, hoping he would remain anonymous. However, his prayers went unanswered as the familiar chirping of his name made him freeze in his tracks.

“Hibari!” The yellow bird was awake, and its excitement was obvious as it jumped from its master’s head and took flight around the corridor they were in. 

Hibari felt the familiar dread well in his stomach as his body froze at the thunderous footsteps making their way towards him.  Closing his eyes, he accepted what he knew was inevitable.

“Shut that bird up!”

Hibari unconsciously took a step back as the shape of his father appeared before him.  The man was tall, much taller than his son.  Like the younger, he had black hair and cold, grey eyes.  His shoulders were wide, a contrast to Kyouya’s slight form.  Unlike the student’s usually emotionless face, the man’s was drawn in a vicious snarl, and his eyes narrowed as hatred consumed his features.

Silently, Hibari reached out and left a finger extended for the bird to perch on.  He didn’t say a word as he turned his back to his father and continued on his way to his bedroom; he knew better than to open his mouth because if he did, his father would find more reason to catastrophize the situation. 

The bird continued to chirp happily as it flapped its wings, oblivious to the danger behind its master and the fact that it seemed to create it almost every day. 

After crossing the corridor and sliding the rice-paper door open, Hibari stepped into his bedroom and released a breath he hadn’t been aware he was holding.  Looking down at the bird still on his finger, he couldn’t help but frown, and when he spoke, his voice a breathy whisper.

“You almost got me hit again, little one...” Black eyebrows creased as Hibari’s frown grew at the bird’s joyful chirps.  He understood the creature didn’t know it was causing trouble, but sometimes he wished the bird would be quiet in the house; there was enough conflict within the building without the bird adding to it. 

The room Hibari had was a traditional Japanese one; it had rice-paper doors leading into the room from within the house, and another one to let him access the deck in the backyard.  The walls were bare, no furnishing present except for the bird cage sitting by the futon rolled out in the corner of the room furthest from the bedroom door.  There were no windows, the only source of light filtering through his open back door.

The hardwood floor was wet from the rain that was being pelted into his room, but Hibari didn’t care; he didn’t even bother getting up to close the door.  He instead moved to his futon and sat down on it, his wet clothing saturating the bed roll.  The only other clothes the boy had were in the laundry, leaving him to wear only his current school uniform. 

The bird jumped down onto the floor beside its owner and nestled against Hibari’s leg.  It chirped happily as it closed its eyes, preparing for another sleep.

Hibari reached down and stroked the soft feathers with his index finger.  As much as he wanted to talk to his bird, he just couldn’t find the strength – not with his father around to hear. 

 _Hibird..._ the teen thought, wanting so badly to say these words out loud, _...you’re my best friend... My only friend...  I’m so glad I have you...  Goodnight, Hibird..._

With those words left unspoken, Hibari settled down under the blanket and ignored the saturated clothing that was making him shiver.  He closed his grey eyes, the sound of the storm lulling him to sleep.  If he was lucky, he would be left undisturbed tonight.

**_~~With Dino~~_ **

Dino stared glumly out of his hotel room window with his chin in his hand as he watched the lightning tear through the sky and saw the odd person running in an attempt to get out of the heavy rain.  His thoughts were on Kyouya, how he had come back to the school with a bag of hamburgers just for the raven-haired boy, only to find the younger was gone.  It had honestly hurt him, especially since he wanted nothing more than to be able to help at the boy. 

The hotel lights flickered overhead as a particularly loud crash of thunder filled the air.  The windows rattled with the force, but Dino didn’t notice; he was too busy hoping Kyouya had gotten home okay. 

The blond was so lost in thoughts, he didn’t notice his eyes slowly slipping closed, or his breathing evening out as sleep slowly crept upon him.  His dreams for that night centred around a violent student who, no matter what he did, would not accept any help from the dream-holder. 

If Dino had woken up during the night, he would have noticed the wet tears that had trailed down his cheeks several times throughout the course of his dreaming. 

****

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Four: The Truth I’ll Never Tell You**

Two days had passed before Dino saw Kyouya again.  He knew the younger hadn’t been at school, as explained by Tsuna, and he could only wonder why; had their fight been too much for the raven?  Had someone else taken advantage of his weakened state?  So many questions, but there had been no answers to any of them – perhaps now that he had caught sight of the student once more, he could finally learn what had happened. 

“Kyouya!” Dino hurried towards the boy walking swiftly down the sidewalk of a residential area.  He saw the houses around him weren’t as well-kept as the others he had visited; the lawns were overgrown and sometimes an abundance of junk could be seen poking through the long films.  It wasn’t until later would he truly pay attention to the significance of this neglect; right now his only concern was getting Kyouya to talk to him.

Kyouya didn’t stop – he didn’t even slow down.  He continued staring ahead as his black jacket hung loosely from his shoulder and billowed in the wind, and his stride never faltered as he ignored the man behind him running to catch up.

Dino couldn’t keep the smile off his face as his footsteps quickly fell in stride with his student’s; he knew it most likely wasn’t the  case, but he felt as if the other was accepting of his presence, allowing the proximity – he could always dream, right?.  “I heard you haven’t been at school lately.”

Kyouya instinctively tensed before he turned to glare at the older male.   He reached into the insides of his jacket so that his fingers could brush against the cold steel of the two tonfa.  He prepared himself to grab them; if that damn herbivore tried anything, he would smack the shit out of him with his weapons.  “What business is it of yours?  I should bite you to death.”

Dino raised his hands instinctively as he attempted to diffuse the situation, but how was that possible with an angry Kyouya?  The smaller boy was violent, almost as if he didn’t know anything else – and part of Dino was sure that really _was_ all the younger knew; he could feel it.  “Calm down, Kyouya!  I just was worried something had happened!”

The feeling of anger overwhelmed Hibari at these words; worried?  _Worried?_ What a _lie._ What an _insult._ He could take care of himself; he didn’t need _anyone_ to be worried about him!  Not at all. 

The younger pulled the tonfa out from underneath his jacket and moved himself into a fighting position, ready to prove that the blond’s _concern_ – or whatever it was – was unneeded; he had no need for such petty emotion; he was _fine_. 

“You have two seconds to remove yourself from my sight before I bite you to death, Cavallone.” Kyouya’s soft voice was laced with hatred, and Dino couldn’t stand to know that someone so young and with a life ahead of them felt that way; it was a shame because the skylark should be out there enjoying the time he had instead of acting like the bitter and angry people he had come across in his line of work all too often. 

Dino stepped back, not wanting to fight the other.  He put as much distance between them as he could without having to raise his voice, hoping he could clarify his thoughts and calm the other down; if his suspicions were correct, the last thing Kyouya needed was for Dino to keep fighting him.

“I only mean that when I was told you haven’t been going to school,” the Chiavarone boss started, “it had me thinking I had hurt you in our fight!”

Kyouya swiped at the air with his right tonfa, offended beyond belief at the other’s pitiful attempt of an explanation.  “Are you lowering _me_ onto the same level as those other _herbivores?_ How _dare_ you.”

The blond understood he was making everything worse, but he didn’t know how to fix what he had started; it was clear the younger wanted a fight, but Dino just wasn’t in the mood for one; he didn’t want to risk further damage to his student – not if it really was his fault the other had been missing school. 

“Kyouya, please understand I meant no harm with my words...” Cavallone lifted a hand and wiped at his forehead as he acknowledged that this was one of the hardest situations he had been faced with; the jobs that came with being a mafia don were easy enough for him, despite how much he disliked what he had to do at times, but there was a difference between taking out the trash that threatened the Vongola and actually being allowed to act like a normal human being; he had never been allowed the opportunity to let his gentle nature shine through before because if he did, it could have meant the end of him – so to finally be allowed to be himself and show someone that he cared, and yet still get nowhere with him…  Why couldn’t Kyouya trust that he truly _did_ want to help?  “You are my student, and I care about your wellbeing.”

The skylark bit down on his lip as he took a step forward with all intent on causing as much damage to Cavallone as he could.  Just as he opened his mouth to speak, however, he was quickly cut off by the ringtone of his phone humming in his pocket.

Dark eyes narrowed at Dino as if it were his fault the phone had interrupted them.  He slid his in to retrieve the flip-top device, and after he opened it and looked at the caller ID, he couldn’t help but flinch; his father’s name was flashing at him, and he knew that if he didn’t answer the call, all hell would break loose when he got home.  Whether Dino noticed his reaction or not, he did not care; all that mattered was dealing with whatever was about to be thrown at him.

Dino watched carefully as the other answered the phone call.  His eyebrow raised slightly; what had caused _Hibari_ to flinch as if he were a puppy about to be kicked by its master?  Something was going on, and he didn’t like it…

Kyouya didn’t speak as he lifted the phone to his ear; he simply frowned.  Dino wasn’t sure who was on the other end, but he could hear shouting through the phone from his distance of several feet.

Kyouya closed his eyes before he replied a minute after the shouting had started.  “I understand.  I won’t be late again.” With that said, he flicked the phone closed and slipped it back into his pocket as his deadly glare returned to Cavallone.  “I will bite you to death another time, _herbivore.”_

Dino couldn’t reply; the younger was already gone as if his life depended on it.  As he reached up to scratch at his messy hair, he couldn’t help but feel as if there was something being kept from him – but what?

**_~~Later that night~~_ **

Coming home late had always meant a punishment for Hibari, but when he had explained he had been held up by someone else while at school, the beating was worse than usual.  Still sore from the one two days ago, the raven was settled upon his futon, finding it painful to move. 

Pain didn’t usually bother Hibari – only when it was inflicted by the ones he was supposed to call his parents.  He could never understand why, but it always caused his chest to tighten in what he could only describe as discomfort after he had been hurt by his family, and whether or not it was physically or mentally didn’t matter; it all hurt the same.

Hibird was flying around the room, chirping on occasion as he stretched his wings.  He flew out of the open door for a few seconds before he returned with a beak full of grass blades so that he could unceremoniously drop them on his master’s head.

Hibari didn’t move; he couldn’t even find the motivation to brush the grass from his hair.  He could only sigh, and follow the bird’s movements with his eyes.  He could hear the drunken shouting from inside the house, and he knew his father was on the rampage again.

Part of the boy felt sorry for his mother being abused by her husband, but the sympathy in his heart was overwhelmed by the hatred he felt towards her for allowing the abuse to have happened to them both for so long; she was supposed to be his mother, and he _knew_ that it was the mother’s job to protect her child and love them no matter what – but all she had ever done was allow him to remain in a situation that caused him emotional pain deeper than any physical injury ever could, and for that, he would never forgive her.

The skylark rolled slowly over onto his side so that his back was to his bedroom door and closed his eyes, hoping with all his being he would be abused no longer tonight; he was so tired and he just wanted to sleep.  Hibird nestled into his master’s hair and, just when they were both on the verge of sleep, the rice-paper door was forced open, grinding on its hinges.

Hibari forced himself into a sitting position with eyes wide as he observed the way his father stumbled towards him in a drunken manner; he knew what was coming, and he would have given everything he had to make it stop – the only problem was, he didn’t _have_ anything _to_ give in the first place. 

“Kyouya-chan...” The way his name slipped off the man’s tongue so easily sent shivers down Hibari’s spine.  He instinctively reached out towards the tonfa he had dropped beside his futon despite knowing it was useless; even if he did manage to grab his weapons, the man would easily overpower him just like every other time.

The raven-haired man snatched his son’s wrists into one hand and pinned them above Hibari’s head.  With his free hand, he trailed it down the younger’s side and slipped beneath the hem of the school shirt Kyouya wore.

Hibari shuddered in disgust at the familiar feel of the large hand on his body, having been subject to their wandering for nearly his entire life.  He scrunched his eyes shut in an attempt to block it out before a hand moved to caress his cheek.

“Open your eyes, beautiful...” The drunken slur made Hibari cringe.  “I want to see you when I touch you.”

Hibari couldn’t deny the fact his heart sped up at these words, knowing exactly what was coming – this was the exact thing that had led to him hating all physical touch.  He bit down on his lip hard enough to draw blood as he was grabbed in places he didn’t want anyone to touch him, hating how his body reacted despite his unwillingness.

Fighting back the tears that threatened to slip down his cheeks, the teenager turned his head to the side and stared out into the darkness of the night. 

Hibari Kyouya hated his life and, in moments like this, he wished for death.

 

 

                                            


	6. Chapter 6

As the weekend passed by slowly, Hibari had not left his room.  He couldn’t find the motivation to get himself off his futon, not even to go and fight someone; he just wanted to be left alone while the injuries on his body healed.  Hibird stayed with him, perched in the messy locks of black hair, chirping away every now and then.

It wasn’t that Hibari didn’t _want_ to leave the room – he _hated_ coming back home, always preferring to be at school than anywhere else – but he was sure if he went out looking as bruised and battered as he did, he would draw unwanted attention to his personal life that would only make things worse than they already were.

As the Sunday afternoon rolled to a close, the skies darkening as clouds threatened to bombard the earth with rain, the boy was relieved to hear the front door of the house slamming closed only a minute before his parents’ car started, indicating their absence.

Hibari pushed himself to his feet and stumbled over to his bedroom door.  He slid it open as quietly as he could before he poked his head out and looked around; he wanted to make sure both his mother and father were gone before he walked out into the hallway.

The skylark kept his footsteps as silent as he possibly could while he wandered throughout the house. He could see no sign of anyone else, but all the empty sake bottles that littered the floor around him gave him the idea that his elders had most likely left to go to the bar; it was a common occurrence for them to drink their supply of sake within the day and then leave to drink elsewhere.

_“Hibari!”_

Hibari looked up as Hibird moved to perch on his shoulder.  He couldn’t help but let a tiny smile cross his face as he stroked the fluffy bird’s yellow back; now that his anxiety had lessened, he could finally talk to his pet once more.  “Hello, Hibird.”

With his parents gone, Hibari knew he was free to do whatever he wanted.  It wasn’t like how just coming out of his room to go to the kitchen would earn him a beating; as long as he cleaned up after himself, his parents would never know he had left his futon.   

Hibari knew that he was free to show his pain now, no longer forced to hide it in fear of his father’s hands.  He didn’t try to hide the fact that he had to limp over to the couch seated against the back wall of the living room; he instead acted as natural as his anxiety would allow him to.  He carefully pulled the empty sake bottles from the couch and placed them in the kitchen before he returned and sat down, soaking in the comfort of soft furniture against his sore body.  The remote to the TV was next to him, so he grabbed the small device and turned the television on, unable to remember the last time he had watched it; it must have been years ago by now... 

Hibird settled down on the arm-rest beside his master as his black eyes stared at the flashing images of the TV.  He didn’t move when Hibari curled into a ball on the black material of the couch and drew his knees up to his chest in order to hug him; he was content with just being close to his master, and the skylark felt the same way. 

Hibari couldn’t admit to anyone that it was frightening for him to be out here in such an unsafe place, but knowing his elders, those two would be out all night drinking and stumble back in through the door in the early hours of the morning, leaving him plenty of time to get back to his room and act as if he had never stepped foot out of it.

It didn’t take the boy long at all for his sleep-deprived eyelids to slip closed, the beginning of sleep taking over him.  However, no matter how long he slept for, the slightest noise would wake him up with the paranoia his parents had come back home, even if said noise was only the wind blowing leafs off the tree outside the window adjacent to him.

It wasn’t until midnight did Hibari finally calm down enough to remain asleep, even if nightmares plagued him all night. 

**~~The next morning~~**

To his relief the next morning, Hibari was still the only occupant of his home, excluding the bird nestled in his hair.  His parents hadn’t come home during the night which was lucky; if they had stumbled in drunkenly and found him sleeping on their couch, all hell would have broken loose.

The skyklark pushed himself up into a sitting position with his elbow before he wiped the sleep out of his eyes.  He pulled his phone out of his pocket and glanced at the time, finding it no later than seven-forty-eight.  If he hurried, he could still get to school in time for the bell.

The yellow bird didn’t stir as his master wandered around the house, preparing himself for the day ahead.  In fact, he only opened his eyes as the familiar squeaking of the front door opening disturbed his rest.  His wings flapped briefly as he lifted himself into the air upon hearing Hibari’s voice.

“What are _you_ doing here?” Hibari narrowed his eyes at the man standing in front of his door with his hand poised to knock.  Without waiting for an answer, the skylark slammed the door closed and turned to walk back into the house, not wanting to deal with this.

The unwelcome guest opened the door and stepped into the house, his soft voice calling out to the boy.  “Kyouya, please...  Can I just talk to you?”

“No.  Go away, Cavallone.”  Hibari continued walking to his room.  He tried his best to hide his limp; it wouldn’t do to show the other he was hurt – it would only give the impression he was weak.  “You are not welcome here.  Leave or I’ll bite you to death, herbivore.”

The male – Cavallone, Hibari had recognised – continued to pace after the younger with a frown on his face.  “Kyouya, it’s –“

In a split second, Hibari had spun around on the spot with his eyes narrowed and burning with hatred.  If his tonfa were not still in his room, he would have drawn them already.  In the bitterest tone Dino had heard him use yet, he snarled, “Do.  _Not._ Call. Me. _Kyouya.”_

Cavallone could only wonder why Hibari was adamant on not being referred to by his given name, but he wasn’t about to let that deter him.  “Kyouya, I –“

Before the blond could finish his sentence, the front door opened and closed again and a drunken shout filled the air.  He raised his eyebrow as he turned to the source of noise but, before he could see anything, he was quickly shoved into the open closet beside them.  He blinked at his student in confusion before he – wisely – kept his mouth shut; he knew better than to intrude upon a situation he knew nothing about.

Hibari stood his ground as he heard the thunderous footsteps approach him.  He had pushed the older male into the closet beside them and kicked the door closed, hoping the other was smart enough to stay there; if he were found with someone else in the house, it would only lead to further problems that might actually be the end of him.

Cavallone listened as hard as he could, trying to work out what was going on.  He could hear muffled snarls of ‘Kyouya’ seconds before the sound of skin being slapped resounded loudly against the walls.  His eyes widened as he brought his hands to his mouth, stifling a gasp; was that what he thought it was...?

The blond could hear Hibari muttering something back, but whatever he was saying was cut off by a loud thump.  Though he couldn’t be sure without having seen it for himself, it sounded as if something heavy had been shoved into the wall between them.

There was silence for a few minutes, making Cavallone too nervous to so much as shift his position.  He didn’t know what he should do; should he poke his head out and see what had happened?  Try and sneak out of the house?  Sneaking was impossible; he would no doubt fall over and make his presence known.

However, the decision was made for him as the closet door was slowly pulled open.  The Chiavarone boss moved himself backwards in an unconscious attempt to hide himself before the familiar face of Hibari greeted him.

The man’s eyes widened as he took in the sight before him; the boy’s lip was split and bleeding and his right eye was closed from swelling that was already setting in.  He was sitting on the floor with his body slumped against the wall as he glared with one eye at the blond. 

In a low, dead hiss, he said, “Get. Out.” Cavallone had to lean forward just to make these words out. Hibari only raised his voice as he swatted at the air towards the other, as if attempting to hit him.  “ _Get out!”_

Cavallone didn’t need to be told twice; he got to his feet and ran as fast as he could towards where he remembered the front door was, hoping with all his being no one would see him fleeing – it wouldn’t do either of them any good to be seen.

Hibari dropped a heavy arm to his side as he panted in pain.  He scrunched his eye shut, trying to ignore the throbbing in his ribs and shoulder; he was sure they had been damaged after he was kicked into the wall. 

Not caring to so much as drag himself back to his bedroom, Hibari just sat where he was and stared at the hardwood floor beneath him as he felt his sanity draining more and more with each passing second.  Sometimes, he just couldn’t be sure whether he wanted to be saved, or if death was a better alternative for the pain he suffered.

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

By the time Dino had arrived back at his hotel room, he could barely control his thoughts.  He was horrified to have realised the truth behind the boy’s cold nature, unable to understand how someone could abuse their child in such ways; as someone who would love to have kids of his own, he never had been able to understand why there were so many children out there whose parents were like Kyouya’s.

The blond paced the expansive floor, not knowing what to do; as Hibari’s teacher, he felt it was his job to try and protect the younger and to get him out of that situation.  He knew what it was like to be in the skylark’s shoes;  while Dino had had a fairly good childhood, he, too, had suffered at the hands of an unloving step-father.  Though he had never been abused as badly as he could only guess Kyouya was, it still hurt knowing his mother had replaced his late father with a man who had a cruel tongue and an angry heart.

If there was anything at all he could do to help Kyouya, he would do it – not just because he was the boy’s teacher, but because he _understood._

Dino’s right-hand man, Romario, watched his boss from the couch he was sitting on with worry in his eyes.  He frowned, not knowing what had brought this act of anxiety on; the Chiavarone boss was such a strong, caring man and nothing fazed him.  Had something happened on the blond’s outing?  Was there a reason he had been asked to stay behind at the hotel room while Dino went out?

“Boss?” Romario called out, hoping to still the younger male’s pacing.  He raised an eyebrow when the other didn’t even acknowledge his words. 

Getting to his feet, the right-hand man approached the smaller male and reached out to grab Dino’s shoulders.  He spoke once the other stopped moving and was looking at him. 

“Boss, are you okay?” The raven-haired man bit his lip in concern; he adored his boss, just like all the other subordinates – they were lucky to have someone as caring as Dino in charge of them.  “Can I help with anything?”

Dino’s blue eyes flicked from side-to-side, not knowing what he should say; he didn’t want to reveal Kyouya’s situation, knowing he himself wouldn’t appreciate such personal information being spread about himself behind himself.  But at the same time, he felt he really needed someone to talk to about what had happened at his student’s house because it was bothering him more than he thought it would, stirring up old emotions he thought he had long-since gotten over.   

Sometimes Dino wondered what he would have turned out like if his mother had never left that man.

“...Romario?” Dino reached up and rubbed at his hair as he shook his head slightly.  “...Can I hear your opinion on something?”

“Of course, boss.  What is it?”

“...If you knew someone you cared about was being mistreated, what would you do?”

Romario didn’t want to pry into his boss’ affairs too deeply, knowing it wasn’t his place to enquire.  Instead, he tried to help as best as he could while trying not to be too nosy.

“Well, I guess that depends on how severely they’re being mistreated, boss.  Have you spoken to them about it?” Dino shook his head.  “...I guess you should try and talk to them about what’s happening and see what they want you to do.”

Dino sighed before he answered.  “...I don’t think he’ll tell me anything, nor want my help.”

“Is there a particular reason for that?”

“...I don’t think he trusts me – or anyone, for that matter.” It hurt Dino to admit this, but he knew it was true.  “...I wish he did, but... I think I will make things worse if I try and talk to him about it...”

Without missing a beat, Romario replied with all the heart he could muster; he truly felt this was the right course of action – a course his adored boss would certainly be able to handle.  “Then you have to show him you _can_ be trusted, sir.  There’s nothing you can’t do; I know you can help him.”

Smiling softly, Dino nodded, glad to have gotten such things off his chest.  He felt touched by his subordinate’s words, but if that was the way Romario felt... 

“You’re right.  Thank you for listening, Romario.” Patting his subordinate on the shoulder, Dino left the hotel room, needing to get some air to clear his thoughts.  

Whatever he could do to help Kyouya, he would do it; that much Dino was sure of. 

**_~~ With Hibari ~~_ **

Hibari was in a foul mood.  He was sitting on the couch in the Disciplinary Committee, glaring at nothing in particular.  As much pain as he was feeling, the skylark just didn’t want to stay at home – not while the police had arrived to his house to investigate a domestic violence report from their neighbours.

The raven-haired boy was glad to be alone; he needed the time to think.  He didn’t think he could do this anymore.  He couldn’t handle the abuse, the pain, or the fact that everyone but him was happy in their own lives with their own loving family while he was on the outside looking in. It wasn’t fair that he was the only one who suffered like this, and as much as he liked his solitude and the feeling of being feared by those weaker than him, it just wasn’t enough; was it so bad he wished he had _someone_ he could trust?

Hibari’s reputation as a blood-thirsty bully was known all throughout the town, and no one in their right mind would pick a fight with him unless they were either stupid or brave.  It was nice to not be the only one living in fear, to be someone who was feared in return, and he felt he could somewhat understand why his parents were the way they were; did they enjoy their only child fearing them?

The skylark couldn’t imagine what life would be like if he had a good family; seeing the way everyone else enjoyed life while _he_ wished for death to claim him on a regular basis was painful, no matter how deep he would lock his emotions away and act as if he didn’t have any.

But what _would_ death be like?  Was it really his only salvation?  His only way out?  What would happen if he died?  Would anyone miss him?  Or would they be happy he was gone?  Would... would his parents... even notice he was gone...?

Hibari closed his eyes.  His body tensed as he felt himself becoming overwhelmed with emotion.  The thought that his family wouldn’t even realise he was dead felt like someone forcing a dagger through his heart.

Looking out of the window of the Disciplinary Committee office, the briefest thought of how painful it would be to throw himself out of the window crossed his mind before he flinched and forced his train of thoughts to change direction.

Whether or not death was his only alternative, Hibari wasn’t ready to lower himself to a herbivore’s standards of committing suicide – not yet, anyway.


	8. Chapter 8

“You _what?”_ Tsuna’s brown eyes widened at the blond’s words, finding it hard to believe what he had just been told – did Dino just say Hibari lived in an abusive household?   But that _couldn’t_ be right; _Hibari_ wasn’t going to allow himself to be abused!  …Would he…?  Then again…  If it were true, it could explain a lot as to why the skylark was the way he was…

Dino sighed as he repeated himself.  “Kyouya’s father beats him.”

Tsuna looked over at his two friends, hoping for some support – having been raised by his mother for as long as he could remember, he had only ever received love and affection and he couldn’t imagine his life without it. 

“Y-yamamoto?”

The black-haired boy Tsuna was addressing tilted his head as a rare frown crossed his face; he had no idea what he was supposed to do, and he was confused.  “Should we try and help, Tsuna?”

Before the brunet could reply, Dino raised his hands, intervening.  “I think it will be better for you guys to stay out of this – I highly doubt Kyouya wants anyone to know.  I’ll try and talk to him, okay?”

The silver-haired teen who had been standing by Tsuna’s side growled as he pulled cigarette from his mouth.  “He’s a psycho.  He’ll probably kill you if you so much as _look_ at him, Bucking Horse.  Just stay out of his personal affairs and it’ll be better for all of us.”

“G-gokudera-kun!” Tsuna shook his head.  His eyes had widened at his friend’s words; how could his friend be so cold-hearted to someone who was suffering?  “Gokudera-kun, can you not see this is probably why Hibari-san is so aggressive and doesn’t like people near him?”

The other teen known as Yamamoto Takeshi nodded as he wrapped an arm around Tsuna’s shoulders.  “Hibari-san might be hurting inside, Gokudera.  What if he wants someone to help but doesn’t know how to show it?  He might be too scared to ask for it.”

“Why are you taking _his_ side, baseball-freak?” Green eyes narrowed at Yamamoto as his explosive temper heated up.  “Hibari is only a blood-thirsty bully.”

“Hayato, I don’t think you’re willing to understand the situation,” was Dino’s calm input.  “Kyouya is _abused._ It’s not his fault he’s the way he is.”

Gokudera Hayato could have cared less about Hibari’s personal situation; he hated the raven-haired teenager with all his being and no amount of pity would change his mind.  “As the Tenth’s Cloud Guardian, Hibari should be more respectful to him!”

Tsuna knew he should have expected something like this from the Storm, but what could he do?  He couldn’t force Gokudera to change his opinion or anything of the like; he just wished the Italian-Japanese boy was more understanding.

Dino pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes.  “Kyouya really shouldn’t be at fault for who he is, Hayato.  I’m sure if he had a better upbringing he wouldn’t be this way.”

Tsuna could sense his best friend was about to start a fight with Dino, and he wanted to stop it before everything got out of control. He reached out and grabbed the taller male’s shoulder as he said, “Gokudera-kun, please listen to what Dino-san has to say; he’s older than we are and he knows more about this than us.”

As much as Gokudera would have loved to argue, this was his beloved _Tenth_ telling him to stop – and if it was the Tenth’s orders, than he would obey them.  He dropped to his knees and apologised in an overdramatic manner.  “Forgive me, Tenth!  I was out of line!”

Tsuna patted his friend’s shoulder, used to Gokudera’s odd way of saying sorry.  “It’s okay.  I just… don’t think you should be so harsh on Hibari-san.”

“You’re right, Tenth.” Gokudera’s eyes sparkled with admiration and, if he had one, Tsuna was certain his tail would be wagging like a puppy.

Dino cleared his throat in order to get the others’ attention once more.  “Does anyone have any idea on what I should do about this?”

“Just be honest.” Yamamoto’s goofy smile had returned, and his eyes shone brightly.  As naïve as he was, he still gave good advice when it was needed.  “Maybe that’s all he’s been waiting for; someone to notice and _care_ about his situation.”

Dino smiled back.  “Thank you, Takeshi.  I guess I’ll do that.  Does anyone know where he would be at the moment?”

Checking his watch, Yamamoto nodded.  “It’s almost five, so he should be finishing up with the Disciplinary Committee.  If you go back to our school you should catch him before he leaves.”

Dino’s smile widened at the boy’s information.  “Thank you all very much.  I’ll try and catch him before he goes home.  I’ll see you later.”

The adult turned on his heels and started to run.  His heart raced as he thought about how he could handle this situation; if he were to be honest, he would have to explain how badly he wanted to help. 

The only problem with that was, would Hibari believe him or not? 

**_~~Namimori Middle~~_ **

As Takeshi had said, Dino found Kyouya leaving the school and heading in the direction the blond knew his home was in.  Hhe started calling out as he jogged to catch up to the younger.

“Kyouya!” Dino panted heavily as he closed the distance between them.  “Kyouya, wait up!”

Without even turning his head, Kyouya knew exactly who was behind him; there was only one person who was stupidly brave to call him by his given name.

The skylark growled to himself and cursed his luck; hadn’t today been bad enough already without some clumsy idiot to add to it? 

“What do you want, herbivore?” Kyouya spat.  He was in no mood to be patient; his entire body ached, he was absolutely exhausted and he just wanted to go home.  He ignored the bird that flew down onto his shoulder and chirped his name and, if looks could kill, his would have murdered the blond ten times over by now.

“Kyouya, I understand you hate me, but –“

Before the Chiavarone Boss could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by Kyouya.  “Now that _that’s_ been established within your thick mind, leave me alone as I do not want to be crowded by the likes of _you.”_

Kyouya turned around to leave but, before he could get far at all, he was frozen in his tracks by Cavallone’s next words. 

“I know your parents abuse you, Kyouya.” The blond’s voice was softer than Hibari had ever heard it, and maybe he was delusional but he thought he even heard _sympathy_ within it. 

There was an uncomfortable silence between the two before Kyouya turned back around, his eyes glinting evilly as his body tensed.  “Do _not_ pretend you know _anything.”_

Dino’s reply wasn’t a verbal one; he instead lifted his left sleeve up to his elbow and presented a large tattoo that covered most of the skin.  When he saw the skylark’s confused look, he explained.  “I got this tattoo to hide my own bruises, much like how you won’t show an inch of your own body.”

Kyouya blinked.  What was that herbivore saying?  “…”

“I understand what you’re going through, Kyouya, and I want so badly to help you…” Dino’s voice was barely a whisper, and his eyes shone sadly.  “…I…  I’ve never told anyone this before, but I…  I’ve been abused, too…  And I know you push everyone away and I can understand somewhat!  Maybe you’re too afraid to open up to anyone or seek help, but…  You don’t have to be scared anymore…”

As much as Kyouya resented his hidden fears being dug up, he couldn’t deny that Dino was right – he _was_ scared, and he didn’t know how to get help.  But what difference did it make?  Even if someone knew, it didn’t mean he was going to let them in on everything – to _help_ him.

“I would never accept the help of a herbivore, Cavallone.”

“But that’s just it!” Dino’s voice was growing desperate as the Italian grabbed Kyouya’s shoulders.  “You never use anyone’s names.  They’re all herbivores to you, aren’t they?  But you call me by my family name.  That means something, Kyouya!  You won’t even refer to Tsuna by his family name.  Please, you can’t tell me that –“

Dino was so caught up in his rambling, he didn’t see the fist that had flown at his face.  With an oomph, he fell backwards onto the cement walkway beneath him.  He raised a hand to hold his injured cheek as he frowned up at his student. 

“You’re crowding me, herbivore,” Kyouya growled.  Before he could say anything more, a speck of green between them caught his attention.  He squinted slightly at it before he leant down to pick up the shelled creature that had just made an appearance; of all things he had expected, it certainly wasn’t for this.

 _A turtle…?_ Kyouya watched as a tiny head poked out of the shell and little legs flailed helplessly in the air.  _Where did it come from…?_

“That’s Enzo…”

Kyouya looked up at Dino’s voice.  He remained silent as he held the turtle close; he found that it was helping greatly in soothing his stress, and he almost didn’t want to give it back. 

“…He’s my pet,” Dino explained.  “He must have fallen out of my jacket when you hit me.”

“I didn’t know you had a pet,” Kyouya stated. 

“…Is he not to your liking?” Dino tilted his head, his question sincere; from his understanding Kyouya liked little animals, so his turtle wouldn’t be any different, would it?  He hoped not; he loved Enzo and didn’t want the little guy to feel rejected.

“I never said that.” Kyouya blinked. “I just never saw you as someone who would have a pet.”

Dino grinned sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head; why would Kyouya think that of him?  “…”

The skylark said nothing as he handed the turtle back and went on his way.  He felt empty inside, as if his emotions were conflicting so much, he _couldn’t_ feel.  He was numb, and he knew that the blond was the cause of it.  He was glad Dino didn’t try and stop him; he didn’t want to know how he would react in that manner; what if he started crying?  He would rather just leave and get back to his room where he could be by himself and – hopefully – not have to deal with anyone. 

Dino watched the other leave, but he let it happen; something inside of him told him it was the right thing to do and that Kyouya needed to be alone.  He hoped his student would be okay; he only wanted to help, but the younger male wasn’t making it easy for him.

**_~~XX~~_ **

As the skylark closed the front door of his home behind him, he knew tonight was going to be another bad one; he had heard his parents fighting before he even got to his house, and now that he was actually in the same vicinity as the two arguing, he felt even more mentally and emotionally drained than he had just a minute ago before he had walked through that damn door.

“Kyouya, get your fucking ass in here and tell this slut what a whore she is!”

When the student was inadvertently dragged into the fight, he almost wished he had accepted Cavallone’s help – but if he were to do that…

It wasn’t until the skylark had finally been able to escape to his room and curl up on his futon did he really think about the blond and what he had said earlier.

 _Does Cavallone truly understand?_   _Is that why he wants to help?  Because he knows what it’s like?  What happens if I accept his ‘help’?  Will it make things worse?  What if he doesn’t know how to help?  …How do I even_ acknowledge _I want him to help me…?  But is that true…?  Do I really want help from a_ herbivore…?  _…I feel like I’m going insane…  But I’m just so tired…  I…  I-I don’t want this life any longer…  If I have to degrade myself to a herbivore’s level and allow someone to help me…  I don’t know anymore…  So tired…  Just… so tired…_

Dark eyes slipped closed as Hibari fell into a sleep plagued by nightmares – but this time, there was a familiar blond in his dreams who was trying to protect him from his parents, the very first time someone had tried to look after him – even in his _dreams._ Did this mean… his future wasn’t as bleak as it had seemed…? 

Was trusting Cavallone to help… really the right option…?  Only time would tell. 


	9. Chapter 9

Dino was surprised that someone was knocking on his hotel door at three in the morning.  He had woken up and was about to get a drink when he heard the small, uncertain taps on the wood, almost as if whoever was on the other side was unsure of what they were even doing here.

The man was wary as he approached the door with a glass of water in one hand and his bullwhip in the other; he could never be too careful when it came to things like this as there were plenty of rivalling families who would love to take him out. 

The Chiavarone don set the glass down on the corner table by the door before he hesitantly wrapped his hand around the doorknob and opened it, preparing himself for an ambush; he didn’t know of anyone here in Japan who would seek his help so early in the morning, and the only conclusion he could come to was someone was trying to have him lower his guard.

However, when the blond saw Kyouya standing emotionlessly in the hallway with his hand poised to knock once more, Dino nearly fainted on the spot; if there was one person he would never, in a million years, have expected to be on his doorstep at this time, it was the raven.

“Kyouya, did something happen?” Dino stepped to the side so that he could allow the skylark room to enter if he wanted.  He was surprised when the younger did so without reluctance, having expected at least some sort of unwillingness – not for him to enter as if it were exactly what he had come here for in the first place. 

Kyouya was silent as he walked further into the hotel room until he was standing by the couch.  He stared down at the black material for a few seconds before he sat himself down on the end and rested against the raised arm as he stared blankly ahead of him. He had felt numb many times before, but not like this; he almost could barely even register anything around him, let alone process his own thoughts properly.

Dino shut the door behind him before he walked to Kyouya’s side with hopes that he could get something out of his guest; something must have seriously happened, and he was worried.  “Kyouya…?  Something happened for you to have come here, didn’t it…?” The blond didn’t ask how the raven knew where he was staying – it was irrelevant and all that mattered was helping the teenager.

When Kyouya spoke, it was in a tone far too emotionless for the context of his words.  “They’re dead.  Both of them.  …Dead…”

Dino felt his stomach clench at these words; surely Kyouya didn’t mean…  “Who…?” he whispered, reaching out to put his hand on Kyouya’s shoulder in a comforting manner.  He didn’t speak when he was shrugged off, knowing it was more important for his student to tell him what had happened.

“My parents.  They’re dead.  My father…  He killed my mother, and then shot himself.  I was sleeping when I heard the gunshot.  I woke up.  The blood…  There was blood everywhere…”

Despite the monotone voice Kyouya was using, Cavallone could see the trauma in those onyx orbs.  Maybe the skylark was used to blood from his peers, maybe even _his own,_ but the blood that signified the end of his parents’ lives…? 

How could _anyone_ be okay with seeing that…?

“Kyouya…” Dino was horrified, and he didn’t know how he could help.  He glanced behind him to see Romario was standing in the doorway of his bedroom and he nodded, knowing the black-haired man would understand his orders and go down to Kyouya’s home to sort things out. 

“I…” The cracking of Kyouya’s voice gave Dino insight into the torment the boy must be going through.  “…I don’t…”

Dino knew he probably shouldn’t, but he couldn’t stop himself from engulfing the younger in a gentle hug.  He knew what it was like to lose a parent, but he couldn’t imagine how he would have felt if his father had died in such a manner; he was sure he would have felt more devastated than he already  did, and he didn’t even know if he would have been able to cope or not.

“Kyouya, please stay the night here,” Dino whispered.  He noticed Kyouya didn’t move in his hold, much less pull away, so he could only imagine Takeshi had been right in guessing maybe all Kyouya wanted was for someone to notice his pain. 

“…” Kyouya just closed his eyes, not knowing how to convey the fact that he _did_ want to stay.  Surely it was obvious if he had come all the way here…? 

Dino understood.  He carefully removed his arms from the boy before he stood up.   “I’ll get you a blanket, Kyouya.”

Kyouya just stayed where he was, the memories of seeing his parents’ bodies lying on the floor of the living room playing through his mind, the blood that had splattered all over the walls, the floor and even the furniture making him feel sick to his stomach.  His head ached as he tried to understand how he felt about the situation - his father; he was glad to have him gone, but his mother…  He remembered a time when the woman would actually try and protect him from his father’s rage.  He didn’t know when it had all changed – all he knew was that the woman who had once showered him with love and affection had slowly started resenting him, and no matter how hard he had thought about it, he couldn’t remember what he could have possibly done to make her hate him so much.

Even so, if Kyouya were to cry over either of his parents, it would be for the mother who had once loved him. 

When Dino came back out and wrapped a heavy blanket around the boy, he was surprised when a hand reached up and grabbed at the sleeve of his nightshirt, pulling him down next to him.

“K-kyouya…?”

“Tired…” Kyouya mumbled.  He didn’t know what on Earth had possessed him to do so, but he soon found himself lying on his side with his head situated on the blond’s lap.  It was different from the times his father had forced his crotch to his face; there was no pain, no disgusting smell or foul taste left to linger on his senses – instead, there was a mutual trust, a reassurance that things would be okay and, for the first time in a long time, Kyouya found himself enjoying the proximity of another body.

Dino ran his hand through raven locks as he felt the other relax against his touch.  Smiling, his eyes softened as he opened his mouth so that he could sing the same song his mother would sing to him when he was young and couldn’t sleep from nightmares.

 _Fai la nanna principino,_  
Fai la nanna cuoricino,   
Dormi bene nel lettino,  
Che la mamma e’ qui vicino.

_Chiudi gli occhi dormi tanto  
E vedrai tutto e’ un incanto._

_Rosso, verde, azzurro e oro_  
Son piu’ belli, mio tesoro.  
Viola, arpa e mandolino:  
Tutto e’ suono per il mio bambino

 _Fai la nanna rosellina,_  
Fai la nanna bambolina,   
Dormi bene nel lettino,  
Che la mamma e’ qui vicino.

_Chiudi gli occhi dormi tanto  
E vedrai tutto e’ un incanto._

_Rosso, verde, azzurro e oro_  
Son piu’ belli, mio tesoro.  
Viola, arpa e mandolino:  
Tutto e’ suono per il mio bambino

When Dino looked down at his lap, he felt his heart warm at the sight of a sleeping Kyouya.  For the first time since he had met the boy, the usually stoic face had a peaceful expression, the slightest curl of his lips indicating a smile as his chest rose and fell slowly with each breath.  A hand was clutching the hem of Dino’s nightshirt tightly, and the boy’s knees were drawn to his chest.

Dino closed his eyes, too, not wanting to risk waking the boy by leaving for his own bed.  When sleep came for him and his dreams started, he dreamt of the boy in his lap, of seeing that relaxed smile more and more. 

Did this mean… Kyouya was starting to trust Dino…?  Cavallone could only hope so.


	10. Chapter 10

When Dino awoke the next morning, he knew he should have expected for the solitary teenager to have left sometime throughout the morning, but it still hurt, feeling as if Kyouya didn’t trust him as much as he had thought; part of him had hoped that the younger would trust him enough to stay with him and let him help him, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

Cavallone sighed as he looked up to the clock sitting on the wall of the hotel room.  He could see it was nearing nine in the morning, so he got up and moved to the bathroom, preparing to clean himself for the rest of his day.

The hot steam swirled around his body as Dino washed himself, his thoughts on Kyouya, but when he soon found his nether-regions reacting to his innocent thoughts of the boy, he became worried; Kyouya was so damaged and he could only imagine how the younger would feel if he knew Dino had become aroused by thoughts of him.

“Damnit…” Dino glanced behind him to the door of the bathroom.  He felt guilty for what he was about to do, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to control himself for much longer; somewhere along the lines of wanting to help and protect the boy, he had developed feelings stronger than they should have been.  He wanted to be able to hold Kyouya in his arms, kiss away the tears he _knew_ had been shed, to wash away the filth his twisted father had left behind, for their bodies to become one with the skylark’s consent – Kyouya’s _want_ for it to happen. 

Dino hissed as he wrapped his hand around his length, the last time he had done this too long to remember.  “Kyouya…”

Part of him knew he wasn’t much better than Kyouya’s father for having such feelings about a sixteen-year-old boy when he himself was twenty-two – but damnit, he _loved_ that boy and he would _never_ hurt him. 

Dino closed his eyes as he slumped against the shower wall as his hand quickened its pace.  He pictured Kyouya leaning against his body, the boy’s pale, skinny frame slick with sweat as their tongues battled for dominance together.  He could see himself pumping Kyouya’s member with a gentle hand, erasing every disgusting trace of his father from the boy.  Kyouya’s onyx eyes were closed, a pleasured expression on his face as he rocked into the touch.

Even in Dino’s imagination, he couldn’t bear to penetrate such an abused body, but the loving touches he lavished upon Kyouya instead was enough for him to release in his own hand so that the falling water washed away his seed.

Dino panted slowly as he smiled to himself, feeling better than he had in a while.  He felt as if he had been refreshed emotionally, so he turned off the taps and left the shower so that he could grab the towel that was sitting on the sink opposite him.

The blond was quick to dry his body before he wrapped the thin material around his waist and made his way back to his bedroom.  He hummed softly to himself as he pulled new clothes out from the suitcase he had sitting under his bed; a clean pair of cargo pants and a black shirt. 

 _I wonder how Kyouya’s doing today…_ Dino thought to himself as he dressed his body.  _He might still be in shock over last night… But knowing him, he’s gone to school.  I can sense it._

The Chiavarone boss slipped the black t-shirt over his head before he grabbed his brown jacket and put it on for the extra warmth.  He was just about to turn and leave the room to go see how Romario had handled the clean up of Kyouya’s home, but his phone started ringing from its place on the double bed before he could get very far.  He went back to the bed and grabbed the device so that he could see who was ringing him.  He answered the phone when he recognised the caller ID to be Tsuna’s; what could the brunet want at this hour?  Shouldn’t he be at school by now?

“Hello, little bro.  What’s up?”

Tsuna sounded concerned as he whispered into the microphone, surely hiding from his teachers in order to speak to the older Mafioso.  “H-hibari-san… told me to tell you… he wants you to train him…”

“Hm?” Dino raised an eyebrow; had his parents’ deaths really affected him that badly…?  “Was there a reason?”

“…The Ring Battles…” Tsuna explained.  “He wants to accept you as his teacher…”

“This is strange,” Dino mused.  “Why couldn’t he tell me himself?”

“I’m not sure…  I…  I think Hibari-san is embarrassed, or even ashamed of asking for help…”

Dino knew he had to talk to Kyouya as soon as he could; if the skylark was serious about this, they would need to start as soon as possible.  “He’s at school today, right?”

“Y-yeah…”

“Listen, I’m going to come and see him, okay?  If you run into him, can you tell him I’m on my way?”

“…O-okay…”

“Thank you, little bro.  I’ll talk to you later.”

Dino hung the phone up quickly before he slipped it into his pocket, not wanting to waste a minute; he had to talk to Kyouya and make sure the boy was okay because something was seriously wrong if he was acting this way, and he had a sneaking suspicion it was due to the deaths of his family. 

**_~~Hibari~~_ **

Hibari stared up at the clouds.  He couldn’t help but replay last night’s events over in his mind.  He remembered finding his parents dead in the living room, and the shock of his had sent him to the first person he could think of – Cavallone. 

The blond had been so gentle and accepting of him, so was it normal to feel as if he was someone who could be trusted?  From an early age, he had been taught _no one_ was trustworthy – not even family – so why did this man seem so different…?

“Kyouya…?”

Hibari sat up when he heard Cavallone’s voice.  He blinked tiredly at the blond and, in that moment, it suddenly felt as if the stress that had accumulated over so many years was only just now breaking free. 

The younger male moved closer to Cavallone so that he could bury his face in the other’s chest as he felt warm arms wrap around him.  He sniffed, unable to let himself cry as much as he knew he needed to, and the effort of keeping it all locked away made him feel as if he were about to throw up.

Cavallone just ran a gentle hand through the boy’s hair, humming every now and then.  When he felt the younger slowly start to relax, he whispered, “If you still want to, we can start training somewhere away from here, okay?”

Hibari just nodded.  “…Okay…”

If Cavallone was a lesser man, he may have cried at the lifeless tone in the boy’s voice – instead, he hugged him tighter to his body, wishing there was something – _anything ­–_ he could do to help. 

The only problem was, he was almost certain Hibari still would not accept such personal help. 


	11. Chapter 11

It felt as if Hibari had been training with Dino for years by the time he staggered exhaustedly back into the blond’s hotel room; ever since his parents had died, he hadn’t been able to gather the strength to return to his own home – the nightmares were enough for him, and he didn’t need for it to feel more realistic than it already was.

The skylark was reluctant to acknowledge just how well Dino had taken care of him during their time away; Cavallone  had fed him, made sure he was warm at night and, when the nightmares had him waking up in a cold sweat, he was there to make sure he got back to sleep alright.

Hibari didn’t know how to express it, but he truly was appreciative of what the blond had done for him ever since… that. 

The skylark sat down on the couch and pulled his knees to his chest as he glanced at the TV in front of him.  He wanted to turn it on but years of abuse had made him afraid to so much as reach for the remote; the beatings were still engraved in his mind, no matter how much he knew they would never happen again.  Cavallone noticed this and, without a word, turned the television on.  He smiled when he saw the corners of Hibari’s lips tug in a faint smile, and he sat down on the couch with him; he was just glad that the other finally seemed to be trusting him and letting him in ever-so-slightly.  It might still be a long time before Hibari could ever trust him fully, but for now, the fact that the raven was allowing him this close was enough. 

Hibari could feel himself drifting off to sleep, but as much as he struggled to stay awake it was near impossible; his eyes slipped closed and he was out to it. 

When Cavallone noticed the sleeping teenager, he stood up and fetched a blanket to wrap over the skinny body, hoping to keep the morning chill away from him.  He smiled to himself as he tucked the younger in tight; his student was looking so peaceful for once.  Hibari murmured something unintelligible before he rolled onto his side, facing the back of the chair, comforted by the gentleness he was presented with. 

Cavallone knew just one thing at this; he was falling harder and harder for the teenager with each passing day.

**_~~Later that day~~_ **

“N-no…” 

Dino looked behind him at the couch Kyouya was sleeping on when he heard the familiar frightened pleas he had become accustomed to hearing being whimpered out in terror.  He fell silent into the phone he had been talking into as he watched the skylark twist and turn from terror; it was hard for him to want to continue his conversation when his heart was being tugged at like this.

“D-don’t touch me…!”

“I’ll call you back, Romario,” Dino said softly into the receiver of his phone, not wanting his subordinates to know of the skylark’s fragile mental state; it was between the two of them and no one else had to know what his student was going through. 

Dino ended the call on his phone before he stood up and once again prepared himself to help relax the traumatised teen.  He called out as he made his way over slowly so that he wouldn’t startle the other; there was no need to make Kyouya more stressed than he already was, after all. 

“Kyouya, it was just a dream,” Dino said gently as he knelt by the boy’s side.  He reached out and run his hand through black hair in a soothing manner now that the skylark had awoken to his voice.  “Do you want to talk about it?”

Kyouya shook his head.  His face paled as his eyes closed once more, trying to pretend that he wasn’t feel so distressed – but how was he supposed to fool Dino when he couldn’t even fool himself? “…Don’t need to…  I’m fine…”

Dino knew that was a lie, but he also knew not to pry; Kyouya still needed time to learn how to talk about what he was feeling instead of keeping it all bottled up inside.  He instead nodded as he sat down on the couch and wracked his brain on what to say.  He didn’t want to come off as nosy or disrespectful, but he wanted to tell the younger that he was there for him no matter what – he just hoped that, after all this time, his student was slowly coming to learn that.

“I’m always here if you need me, Kyouya.” Dino offered a gentle smile.  He reached out to take the younger’s hand and squeeze it in reassurance, and to his honest surprise, Kyouya didn’t pull away; he allowed it to happen.  “Kyouya?”

“…” There was a haze in the skylark’s eyes that proved he wasn’t very focused on external stimuli; he was too busy recalling the events of his dream because even now, he wasn’t sure if he were remembering correctly; could he _really_ dream about Cavallone kissing him…?  Or was his mind playing tricks on him again?  He couldn’t recall having any feelings towards the Chiavarone boss other than a mutual trust that walked a fine line between them, so could he…?  Really have dreamt something like that…? 

The skylark glanced up at Dino and found that the blond had directed his gaze out of the window.  His black eyes fixed on those red lips curiously.  Thoughts he had never wondered about before crossed his mind; for the first time in his life, he was thinking about what it would be like to actually kiss someone.   

Hibari shook his head; he _couldn’t_ be considering kissing Cavallone.  …Could he?  But… _why?_ Why _him?_ It was when a tiny voice answered him from the back of his mind did he flinch as he realised the truth; Dino had been the only one to ever keep their promise of not hurting him and instead had only ever taken care of him.  He hadn’t ever really thought about his sexual orientation or anything of the like, but he was starting to wonder if he was more attracted to personality, or a sense of comfort in other people rather than their gender or anything physical; it would certainly explain why he was only starting to feel this way once Cavallone had become rather interesting to him.   

But the question still remained; did he _want_ to kiss Cavallone…?  There was only one way to find out what he was truly feeling. 

Dino looked at Kyouya when he felt the boy’s gaze fix on him.  “Kyouya?  Are you okay?”

In the most stoic tone he had ever used, Kyouya simply said, “Kiss me.”

Dino had been shocked at first to hear those words, but what really got to him was the fact that, seconds after, horror and embarrassment crossed Kyouya’s eyes, as if the skylark had only just realised what he had asked of his teacher.  What had brought such a question on?  Dino didn’t know, but it was worrying for him.

“Kyouya…?” Dino reached a hand out to touch the boy, but Hibari just pulled away.

“Don’t touch me…” Kyouya whispered. He looked down at his lap as anxiety started overwhelming him; he regretted his request, and he hoped Dino would let him back out of it.  “…I didn’t mean what I said…”

Dino saw straight through the lie, but he didn’t want to call the damaged teen out on it.  Instead, he placed his hand on Kyouya’s chin and felt the smaller body tense at his touch.  He tilted the boy’s head up so they were looking at each other, and his heart broke when he saw the fear in the onyx eyes. 

“Do you trust me?” Dino whispered.  He smiled gently when Kyouya nodded, knowing what he had to do.  “Close your eyes, okay?”

Kyouya was hesitant at first but he did as he was told.  His body started shaking instinctively and, when a hot pair of lips pressed against his, he gasped and tried to pull away.  Dino’s hands moved to his shoulders, holding him in place as he pulled his lips away.

“Relax,” Dino whispered.  Kyouya cracked his eyes open to look at him and, after seeing the sincerity on his face, he closed his eyes once again as he willed himself to calm down; though he didn’t trust easily, he could trust the other in this moment.

Dino kissed the boy again, and he was in no hurry to demand more from the skylark; this moment was solely for helping heal the damaged teen. 

Kyouya reached up after a few seconds so that he could grab the brown jacket Dino was wearing.  He felt himself relaxing into the kiss, slowly understanding that he had been right about Dino all along; this man was someone he could trust, someone who wanted to help him, someone who _understood_ what it was like to come from bad backgrounds.

Taking the plunge, Kyouya gathered all his strength and opened his mouth, inviting Dino’s tongue to enter.  He moaned softly, his hands squeezing, as his tongue battled Dino’s for dominance. 

When they broke away for air, Kyouya looked into Dino’s eyes, able to acknowledge the affection he had seen in them every day.  He couldn’t stop the tears that started to flow down his cheeks, realising his biggest mistake in life had been pushing this man away because this was the first person he had come across who genuinely _loved_ him. 

Maybe…  Maybe Cavallone could teach _him_ how to love, too.


	12. Chapter 12

It was the night of the Mist Battle when Hibari found himself sitting on Cavellone’s lap with their tongues dancing for domination.  The skylark grinded his hips experimentally against his partner’s, and when he drew a small groan from the other, he was content. He felt in control of this moment and that was what had led him to summoning the strength to want to go further.

Hibari stood up and glanced over his shoulder at the red-faced Chiavarone Boss, silently telling him to follow him into the bedroom.  The blond didn’t need to be told twice; he stood up and followed eagerly, the bulge in his cargo pants displaying his want. 

The raven closed the door behind them before he crawled onto the bed, knowing he had to take advantage of this moment in order to truly heal from the damage his father had inflicted on him; he had to face his trauma head-on and take control of it, or else he may never be able to recover properly.  Cavallone also understood this and was doing his best to comply with his soon-to-be lover’s wishes.

Dino sat d own on the edge of the bed and held his arms out as he invited Hibari back onto his lap.  The teenager did so, rubbing their crotches together once again. 

Dino ran a hand down the side of his partner’s body before he slipped it underneath the hem of the shirt.  He could feel warm skin beneath his hand, as well as the scars that marred his soon-to-be lover’s soft flesh.  It angered him to know that they existed, but he would never say anything about them to Hibari as he knew the skylark hated them as much as he did. 

Hibari didn’t seem to protest so Dino joined their mouths together once more as he slid his hand up to rub against a perk nipple.  He felt the body on his lap tense and shiver, but the dark eyes that stared into his own were full of lust with no fear to be found.

The Prefect bit back a soft whimper as he felt calloused hands touching him with tenderness he had never experienced before, bringing out pleasure he had always been denied, and for the first time during something like this, they made him feel safe and comfortable with what was happening.

“Does it feel good?” Dino whispered, wanting to make sure he was doing things right.  He smiled when he received a hum of encouragement as he lifted Hibari’s shirt.  He ran his tongue around the small nubs so that he could encourage a few more whimpers of pleasure from the younger; he loved seeing the skylark like this, and the younger deserved as much pleasure in this moment as Dino could possibly give him. 

Hibari was hesitant to slip his pants off, but he did it anyway.  He pulled his shirt from around his head and dropped it to the floor as Dino’s tongue still assaulted his chest.  He was gently pressed onto his back so that he was resting against the soft mattress, and he found that he wasn’t frightened; instead, he was eager.

“Are you…” If Hibari were a lesser person, he would have flushed at what he was about to ask – but he instead just lowered his voice, “…are you taking yours off, too?”

Dino nodded.  He pulled back from where he had been leaning over his student so that he could shrug his jacket off to rest beside the younger’s discarded clothing.  His black shirt came next, followed by the cargo pants, revealing plain white boxers with a large bulge obvious in them. 

Onyx eyes stared at the bulge warily, and Dino – knowing what Hibari was thinking – soothed him.  “It’s okay, Kyouya; I don’t need any of that from you.”

Hibari didn’t reply; his eyes just closed as he waited for Dino’s next actions.  He could feel hands on his hips and he tensed involuntarily as his mind flashed back to things he didn’t want to remember.

“Relax…” Dino whispered as he lowered his face towards Hibari’s arousal.  His hot breath sent shivers down the other’s spine.    

Hibari was unprepared for when a wet mouth closed around him, but the pleasure he got out of the action was immeasurable; he had never thought such sensations could exist.  He moaned quietly to himself, his pride leaving no room for loud, shameful sounds of pleasure. 

Dino ran his tongue up and down the base of Hibari’s erection as his hand massaged the soft sac in his palm.  He groaned quietly as the pressure in his stomach increased; he couldn’t explain how amazing it was to do this just with Hibari himself.    

Hibari’s onyx eyes were closed as he breathed raggedly.  He lifted a hand to his mouth to stifle his noises, embarrassed by the idea of someone hearing him; he wished he could be silent during this, but he wasn’t.  His legs quivered as he felt a coil in his stomach he had never felt before.  His arm felt like jelly as he tried to hold himself up on his right elbow so that he could watch the other’s head between his legs, so he quickly lay back down on the mattress, letting Dino do his job.

The blond bobbed his head up and down along the shaft while his hands squeezed the skylark’s sac carefully every now and then.  Hibari, even during his climax, held back as much sound as he possibly could.  He moaned softly as he felt himself empty within Dino’s mouth, but all he could do was lay there and take deep breaths; he had never experienced anything like that before, and he didn’t have the energy required to move.

Dino, knowing they didn’t have any lube, instead placed his own fingers in his mouth, salivating as best he could onto them; he would never task his precious lover with such a demeaning job when he could do it himself just as easily – sure, it would be sexy as hell to have Hibari suck on his fingers, but he was sure it would only stress his soon-to-be lover, and he didn’t want that.

Hibari didn’t make any noise as the blond prepared him; it was nothing compared to what he had been through – and even when Dino pushed in, he did nothing; sure, it was uncomfortable and a little sore, but compared to what he was used to, it was tolerable because right now, he wasn’t being torn apart the way he used to be

“Alright, Kyouya?” Dino waited patiently for the okay to begin moving again

Hibari nodded.  “Move.”

The blond wasn’t about to hesitate; he begun to thrust carefully inside of his lover as he searched for the younger’s spot.  Though Hibari’s face was scrunched up a little, the pain was nothing compared to what it had once been, and he found that he would much rather do this with Dino than ever have to experience what it had once been ever again.  Even so, he didn’t have high expectations for it feeling as great as he had heard it was hyped up to be, but when Cavallone scraped against his spot, his eyes opened and he let out a loud moan as he was taken completely by surprise; how come something… feel that _amazing…?_

Dino knew he had found the younger’s pleasure spot and continued to aim there.  Hibari’s moans were quiet, but they sounded much more pleasured and unrestrained than they had previously.  The blond was glad; he only wanted for his lover to understand what _true_ sex was – nothing at all like what he had been forced to go through for so long. 

The coil in the raven’s stomach snapped once more, and Hibari found himself releasing onto Dino’s chests with a quiet moan.  He was in a daze, barely coherent and too unforced to do much else other than lay where he was and stare hazily at the blond. 

The blond grunted as the other’s walls tightened on him, forcing him to release inside the younger.  He was glad that Hibari didn’t seem to mind; he should have had the forethought to use protection with someone like him because who knew how badly the other could have reacted to such a thing?

The two were silent for a while as Dino laid by Hibari’s side, not touching him just yet; he could never be too sure if cuddling after sex was something the skylark would want.  To his surprise, a head of black hair rested on Dino’s chest and onyx eyes closed as Hibari’s soft breathing indicated he was relaxed.

“Kyouya?” Dino raised a hand and ran it through the younger’s hair. 

“Don’t get used to it, omnivore,” Hibari mumbled.  “Your chest just happens to be more comfortable than the pillow.”

 Dino smiled to himself as he followed his lover into sleep.  _Looks like I’ve somewhat tamed the savage skylark… even if he won’t admit to it…_


End file.
